Hi
Need a flash light that should -
¡. very good run time ( few modes possible )
¡¡. good throw and flood ( throw should be prime but not a narrow beam thrower )
¡¡¡ . shall be very reliable, go for years without any maintaince
¡v . with side switch
v. within $50 - 60 .
vi . run by 2 or 3 D cells ( may be used AA with adapters if required ).
Thank you .
What about a maglite?
I can recommend a C cell flashlight.
You aren’t going to find a whole lot as D batteries are kind of a rarity.
The only light I can think of is the Fenix TK70 (and TK60), which are monster search and rescue lights that use 4 Ds. They arent exactly everyday lights…and cost 200 bucks.
But they definitely meet the other requirements of side-switch, 4 modes of brightness plus hidden strobe, very reliable, etc.
Your only other alternative is to get a Maglite and then get a “drop in” module for it that replaces the crappy emitter with a good XM-L or equivalent. That will get you within the price range needed.
Really though there is no need to use D batteries unless you really WANT a giant club. A 2xAA light can hit 200+ lumens which is plenty bright for most purposes. They can be gotten for 40-60 bucks which is on budget and a side-switch is doable though more rare.
Plus with AA batteries you can use rechargables and not need specialty batteries and chargers. A universal charger is like 25 bucks and charges AAA thru D and is super handy around the house, especially for toys.
I would recommend a Flood to Throw light actually. The floody area is great as a worklight with no distracting hotspot, and you can adjust it to give higher throw as desired. You can get a 3xAAA for about 20 bucks. Id recommend shiningbeam romisens. 2xAA might be doable though more rare. However, a side-switch is going to be a problem since almost all F2T lights are tactical endcap switch only.
If you want a classic style light, this is a C cell and a very nice torch:
http://www.kaidomain.com/product/details.S020938
There is this light, that is available at your local Home Depot, when in Stock. Everyone here is quite impressed with it — should fit you needs, and is a good buy for the money. Read this thread for more information:
That UF-5C is a great one! I want another in NW
Nitecore ea4 anyone?